Lamp-socket-plug tap



April 28; 1931. CLEMENCE 1,803,096

LAMP SOCKET PLUG TAP Filed Nov. 15, 1927 INVENTOR Ellioiir ClemencgPatented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED sr'rs PATENT OFFICE ELLIOTT CLEMENOE, orNEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY 'MEsnE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro

ronnrio v or CONNECTICUT THE MONOWA'IT ELECTRIC CORPORATION, OF

narnenron'r, conivncr cur, A con- LAMP-SOGKET-PLUG TAP i Applicationfiled November 15, 1927. Serial No. 233,438.

The present invention relates to lamp socket plug taps and is moreparticularly directed toward a plural lamp socket" having provisions-forconnecting in four electrical devices such as two lamps or otherthreaded connectors and two attachment plug caps or other forms ofpronged connectors.

The present invention contemplates a device of this nature whichconsists essentially of. a casing made out of two like halves of moldedinsulating material and within which is housed the contacts for-thevarious outlets.

According .to the present invention, all of the metal parts except theexternal male screw shell (where it is employed) may be inserted intoone of the casing halves and held thereby in position without theemployment of solder,

' whereupon the other casing half may be placed in position and the twoparts-secured together by a bolt passing through the casing. Where thecurrent supply portion of the electrical connector is in the form of ascrew shell,.tl1is screw shell is adapted to be placed in position afterthe casing parts and inclosed elements have been secured together.

It connects with the inclused conductors to .ing the component unitsinto a complete assembly. 1

Another advantage relates to the manner of amplifying the internallymounted metallic circuit forming members, by the addition of a fewsimple, additional metallic parts, with proper positioning spaces in theouter insulator body, the capacity of such taps is doubled in capacity,thereby permitting the connecting of and distribution of electric curent from a single socket to four separate circuits, simultaneously. v

In the present embodiment a single, preferably threaded,tap or plugconnection permits of attachingmy device to a socket, and in turn isprovided with a pair of threadedsockets, whereby two other threadedcircuit connections may be made, and intermediate of these lattersockets but adjacent thereto, is oppositely located a pair of plug inconnections for cooperation with the blade contacts of attachment plugs,taps, and the like.

These and other capabilities will be ascertained as the hereindescription proceeds, and p it is obvious that modifications may be made1n the structure herein without departing ,from the spirit of thisinventionor the scope.

of the appended claims.

Inthe drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of my device, assembled; Fig. 2 isan open view thereof with one of the enclosingv insulator membersremoved; Fig. 3 isan open View. of one of the insulator halves; Fig. 4is anagmentary side viewof the upper or light socket connection end ofeither of. the'insulatorhalves; Fig. 5 is a combined view of the sideand endviews of the major metallic circuit. conducting elements; Fig. 61s a triple VIGW,

showing the plan, side and end views of the -minor metallic circuitconductor; Fig. 7 is a side view, reduced, of device, showing the same1n position to receive twosimultaneous prong taps;.F1g. 8 1s a side newofone 'ofthe internally mounted threaded socket shells; and Fig. 9 isaview of the same, ro-

tated at about 90Vdegrees. v

In Fig. lthe electrical connector 1s shown;

as comprising a main threaded contact ferrule 1, which may be screwed.into any, screw socket for direct, connection toa source of electriccurrent. Branching from the ferrulel are a pair of divergentthreadedsockets 2 and 3 for receiving therein lamps or othe'rthreaded connectorsfor a continuation of these two separate circuits as desired. ICentrally of these latter divergent ,sockets2and 3 are located, uponopposite sides of my complete device, one each of a pair of plug taps Aand 5, see also Fig. 7, into which may be plugged also for simultaneoususe,if desired, a'pair of pronged plug-in taps 6 and 7, whereby twoother circuits may be connected thereto;

Thus it will be noted, that, plus a main socket connection, I haveprovided four additional circuit connections, for distribution ofcurrent to as many separate circuits singly or together.

The insulator housing '8 comprises a pair of duplicate parts, identicalin structure, and seatings, having a single unkeyed meeting as indicatedby the line 9, Fig. 7 whereby they match together to form a completeenclosure, but these halves are connected at these planes, againstmoving, by the keying action of the various contained circuit formingelements, which rest, purposely, half of their structures in each halfof the insulator housing 8. By this arrangement, the mating halves ofthe housing may 'be assembled upon their contained circuit formingconductors and be held in firm assembly by a single centrally locatedlocking screw and nut, generally noted by 10, Figs. 1 and 2, throughbore 11, Fig. 3, suitable countersunk seats being provided at theexterior of these bores to permit of keeping the head of the screwlO-and its nut below the outer surface of the exterior of the housing 8.The duplicate halves of the housing 8 are provided at their sockets 2and 3 near the bot tom thereof with an annular grove 12, which inassembly receives the flared flange 13 of the threaded metallic socketshell 14, which in turn has an upwardly, outwardly upstand ing connector15 thereon, Figs. 8 and 9, which fits into the grooves or seats 16 and17 shown in Fig. 3 of each of the sockets 2 and 3, and is'suflicient inlength to extend outside of said groovesf'as shown in Fig. 2, thereby tomake electrical contact with the threaded metallic ferrule or male screwshell 1, at its interior,

the said ferrule 1 being fitted thereover and Q'sions 20, Fig. 4,thereby forming locking inde-nts 21, Fig. 1.

The parts of housing 8 are, further, provided with a continuous Y shapedchannel or seat generally denoted by 22, 23, 24 and 25, which runs fromthe top 19 down the center thereof, and dividing near the center thereofas at 24, 25, and terminate at the divergent chambers of the sockets 2and 3. In this continuous channel or seat is located a flat, conformed,metallic conductor generally de- 'noted by 26, Figs. 2, and 5, and asshown in the latter figure comprises a single piece of flat metal,having two downstanding arms 27, 28 bent from an upper angle-shapedcontact junction 29, which in assembly, Figs. 1 and 2, resilientlyprojects above the upper end of the neck 19, for making the innercontact with a stock screw socket normally installed in the source ofelectric supply. The housing 8 at this point is provided with a flaringwedge like seat 32 in which the lower angled portions 30 and 31 of thecontact 29 are seated to resist inward thrust and displacement.

The contact 26, further, has divergent extensions 33, 34 extending fromthe arms 2728, Fig. 5, and these in turn havetwo extensions 3536respectively, which are bent inwardly, and as indicated in the sprung,seated position in Fig.2, these latter extensions form the centercontacts for the sockets 2 and 3..

Upon this socket circuit forming contact 26, is also affixed one leg ofthe prong-lug formingcircuits, and this comprises a resilient, twotongued contact member having an arm 37 which is riveted to the leg 27of 'con tact 26, and is provided at its lower end with a pair ofopposed, bent, spring contacts 38 and 39. These latter contacts when inassem bled position in the housing 8. are received in seat 40, Figs. 2and 3, and blade contact openings or prong plug bores 41 Figs. 1, 2, and3, which extend entirely through to the exterior of the housing 8 andform with said contacts 38 and 39, one leg of the circuit for the prongplugs 6 and 7, Fig. 7.

The other leg of the prong plug circuit is formed by a separate, simplespring contact as shown in the three views Fig. 6, and com.- prises asomewhat cruciform structure formed of a two tongued contact 42-43, thebase of which 44,.is riveted centrally of a single cross-contact member45, at right angles thereto, the outer ends of the contact 45 beingslightly bent, so as to resiliently engage the outer surface of theopposed threaded socket members 14, shown in Fig. 2, when this cruciformcontact 4445 is introduced into seat 46 and prong-plug bore 47, whichlike rectangular bore 41 passes to theexterior of the housing 8, andforms the other leg of the circuit to that described for parts 3839.

Thus the socket circuits and 3) are closed as follows, from ferrule,through arm 15 of the socket screw shells 14, to any screwed inconnector (not shown) thence across to bent extensions 35.36 to springcontact29, thus completing the two socket circuits.

For the both opposing prong circuits, the current flows as follows, fromthe ferrule 1, to arms 15 of the socket ferrules 14, thence through thearms 45 of the cruciform contact to its spring contacts 42-43, thenceacross plugs 6 and 7, Fig. 7, to spring contacts 38-39, thence to arm 37to central upper contact 29.

In order to take up the torsional strain of screwing in and out of lampsor threaded plugs in the sockets 2 and 3, I have provided a dual keyarrangement in the housing 8, such provision being the cutting of a pairof notches 4l8l8 upon the opposite sides of the threaded screw shells ll, as at Fig. 8, and forming of corresponding upstanding key abutments47' a7' in each part of the housing as at Figs; 2 and 3. Theinterengagement of these parts prevents the contact arm 15 on the screwshells 14 being misaligned in assembly or twisted out of position inuse. Thus it will be observed that four circuits may be simultaneouslyconnected into my improved socket, or a single circuit may be plugged,in, at will, without possibility of short circuit, and in a compact plugof few parts.

In assembling the multiple lamp socket, the contact assembliesillustrated in Figure 5 are inserted in place with the divergentextensions 33 and 34 in the passageway interconnecting the upper ends ofthe socket openings and so that the spring tips 35 and 36 are in placeto contact with the center contact of the lamp or the like. One of thespring contacts 38 or 39 passes down into one of the blade receivingholes 41 and the body portion 27 of the connector extends up through the,passageways 22 and 23 and out through the opening in the tip of thehousing part. The contact assembly shown in Figure 6 is placed with thestrip 45 in the cross channel as with one of the blade contacts 42 or 43housed in the laterally extending opening l7. The screw shells 14: areplaced in position with the flanges 13 thereof resting in the grooves12, the notches 4:8 engaging the lugs 47 and with the strip extensions15 extending out from the channels 16 and 17. The other housing part maythen be placed in position on the projecting conductors-and the bolt 10secures the housing parts and inclosed conductors together as a unit.The male screw ferrule 1 may then be passed down onto casing composed oftwo casing halves of the tip of the casing and pressed into the recesses20 to secure it in place.

It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms andconstructions, and I wish it to be understood that the particular formshown is but one of the many forms. Various modifications and changesbeing possible, I do not limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a socket of the class described, a conductor comprising a pair ofresiliently connected arms bent from an upper angleshaped contactjunction, and having two divergent contact extensions inwardly turned attheir extremities, and a third contact interat their extremities,

intermediate of said divergent contacts, upon tacts carrying a pair ofopposed resilient prong engaging contacts thereon at right angles tosaid divergent contact arms.

* 3. In a socket of the-class described, a conductor comprising a pair,of reslliently connected arms bent from an upper angleshaped contactjunction, and having two divergent contact extensions inwardly turned, athirdcontact riveted one arm thereof, and an opposed resilient prongengagingcontact riveted thereon, located at right angles to saiddivergent contact arms 4. In a plural lamp socket, an insulating;

casingcomposed of two casing halves of molded insulating materialsecured together, said casing having a male socket shell receiving uppertip and a pair of downwardly divergent socket provided with bottomforming end walls and a pair of laterally extending openings for bladecontacts, there being a cross channel shell receiving openings eachextending from the bottom of one socket opening to the bottom of. theother socket opening and commluucating with the two lat-- orallyextending openings for blade cont-acts, said-cross channel alsocommunicating with a passageway extending out through the center ofthetip, and

for one side of the circuit, said unit having a preassembled contactunit two center contacts for the sockets, two spring contacts for theblade contact openings and a supply lead extending out through the tipcenter, and being insertibleinto one of the casing halves before theother half is placed inpositiona' i I '5. In a plurallamp socket, aninsulating molded insulating material secured together,

said casing having a pair of divergent socket receivingopenings whoseadjacent sides are and a contact member molded insulating materialsecured together,

said casing havlng a male socket shell receiving upper tip and a pair ofdownwardly divergent socket shell receiving openings whose adjacentsides are interconnected by a cross channel which communicates with twolaterally-extendin g openings for blade contacts, each socket openingbeing provided with a bottom forming end wall havinga passagewayextending from the outer portion of thesocket opening through the bottomwall and to the outside of the casing adjacent the tip, a pair of socketshells in the socket openings, a contact member disposed in the crosschannel and engaging the outside of the shells, the contact memberhaving spring blade contacts in the blade contact openings, and a malescrew shell on the tip, the socket shells shaving strips extendingthrough said passageways to connect the socket shells to the male shell.

7. In a plural lamp socket, an insulating casing composed of two casinghalves of molded insulating material secured together, said casinghaving a male socket shell receiving upper tip and a pair of downwardlydivergent socket shell receiving openings each provided with bottomforming end walls and a pair of laterally extending openings for bladecontacts, there being a cross channel extending from the bottom of onesocket opening to the bottom of the other socket opening andcommunicating with the two laterally extending openings for bladecontacts, said cross channel also communicating with a passagewayextending out through the center of the tip, a cross channelinterconnecting the adjacent sides of the socket re ceiving openings andcommunicating with two laterally extending openings for blade contactsdisposed parallel to the first mentioned openings for blade contacts,and passageways extending from the outer portions of the socket openingsthrough the bottom walls of the sockets and to the outside of the casingadjacent the tip, a pair of socket shells in the socket openings, theshells having strips extending out through the last mentionedpassageways, a contact member disposed in the cross channel and engagingthe outside of the shells, said contact member having spring contacts inthe last mentioned blade contact openings, a preassem'bled contact unithaving two center contacts for the sockets, two-spring contacts for thefirst mentioned contactopenings and a supply lead extending out throughthe tip center, all said conducting parts being insertible into one ofthe casing halves before the other half is placed in position, and amale screw shell surrounding the tip and contacting with the stripsextending from the socket shells.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 11th day of November, A. D. 1927.

ELLIOTT CLEMENCE.

